May 17 2019 Update: The Samsung Notebook Odyssey is currently available for preorder here, for $1,999, and it will start shipping out May 24. This article was originally published Jan 7 2019.
Samsung unveiled the new GeForce RTX-equipped Notebook Odyssey gaming laptop at CES 2019. The Notebook Odyssey received a much-needed design overhaul and now flaunts an aluminum chassis, a big improvement over last year's plastic model.
The Notebook Odyssey is available in the U.S. for preorder now, and will start shipping out May 24. The Notebook Odyssey starts at $1,999.
The Odyssey will be able to play most modern games at decent frame rates thanks to its Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, the mobile graphics card revealed earlier this year by Nvidia. That means the Odyssey supports the latest graphics tech, including real-time Ray Tracing, AI and programmable shading.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Samsung Notebook Odyssey |
| Starting Price | $1,999 |
| Display | 15.6-inch, 1080p, 144Hz |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD/1TB HDD |
| Ports | USB-C, 3 USB 3.0, HDMI, Ethernet, headphone jack, security lock slot |
| Size | 14.08 x 10.65 x 0.78 inches |
| Weight | 5.29 pounds |
The Odyssey boasts a 15.6-inch HD (1080p) panel with G-sync technology and a 144 Hz refresh rate, so even the most fast-paced games should look smooth.
Just about every laptop maker has focused on trimming down display bezels, and Samsung is no exception. The Notebook Odyssey's thin bezels keep the black aluminum device relatively compact, at 14.08 x 10.65 x 0.78 inches. More impressive is that the Notebook Odyssey comes in at just above 5 pounds. Port selection includes a USB-C input, three USB-A ports, HDMI, an Ethernet connection, a headphone jack and a security lock slot.
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Aside from the RTX GPU, the Odyssey is equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD with a secondary 1TB HDD. Those specs are good, but for $1,999? That's insane. You could get an Area-51m for $1,935 right now and get a Core i7-9700 desktop processor along with the same specs.
Keeping all that power from overheating the laptop are Jet Blade blowers with 83 blades and a new cooling system. Samsung promises that the Odyssey will remain cool no matter how high you crank up your graphics settings.
Speaking of settings, the Notebook Odyssey features several functions design for gaming. There's Odyssey Mode (saves settings presets for specific games), Beast Mode (regulates performance per application) and Black Equalizer (improves in-game lighting). Some of these settings are not uncommon among gaming laptops, but Black Equalizer is the most intriguing. Hopefully, it does something to change the in-game experience, instead of being a simple display effect.
We are looking forward to seeing how the Notebook Odyssey performs in our tests and will provide a full review when it rolls through our lab.
